Hugo manovii



Reissued May 15, 1928.

UNITED STATES Re. 16,963 PATENT OFFICE.

HUGO MANOVILL, OF JACKSON HEIGHTS, NEW YORK,

METHOD OF DECORATING ARTICLES AND DECORATED ARTICLE.

No Drawing. Original No. 1,636,523, dated July 19, 1927, Serial No.93,793, filed March 10, 1926.

Application for reissue filed March 14, 1928.

My invention relates to a new and improved method of decoratingcelluloid artides and to a new and improved decorated celluloid articleThis invention is also applicable to decorating surfaces made ofmaterial other than celluloid.

This application is in part a continuation of my previously filedapplication Seria No. 60,304, tiled October 3, 1925. w One of theobjects of my invention is to devise a new and improved method ofdecorating'a celluloid article to produce cloisonn effects.

Another object is to devise a method whereby such cloisonn effects canbe produced on differently colored backgrounds.

Another object of my invention is to produce an article having a durablecloisonn decorative effect.

Other objects of my invention will be set forth in the followingdescription which will set forth a preferred embodiment, it beingunderstood that the above general statement of the objects of myinvention is intended to merely generally explain the same, and nottolimit it in any manner.

My method can be employed for decorating a celluloid block or article ofany kind, size, or shape, and is particularly intended for decoratingtoilet articles, such as. brushes, mirrors, toilet sets. etc.

The object to-be decorated, which may be designatedas the base is firstgiven a colored surface coating. For this purpose, any,-

suitable dye (such as an aniline dye) or any suitable p1gn'1ent, isthinned with or dissolved in a celluloid solvent, such as ethyl acetate.'lhe thinued coloring liquid is then' thoroughly stirred and strainedthrough cheesecloth. Practical experience has shown that when thecoloring agent is thinned with acetone or the like, th at the colorforms little lumps on the base when it is sprayed on, unless certainprecautions, such as the stirring and straining above mentloned, areobserved.

, However, little lumps of color pass through the cheesecloth or formafterwards. and lience the thinned coloring agent is sprayed on the baseby an air-brush, operating under a pressure of about thirty (30) poundsper square inch. The purpose of thinning the coloring agent with acelluloid solvent is to cause the coloring agent to blue color to asmoke blue or cloudy blue,

Serial No. 261,694.

form a very durable color coating. While I do not wish to limit myselfto a pressure of thirty pounds, experience has shown that a much smallerpressure will prevent the coloring agent from penetrating the baseuniformly to form a uniform color layer on articles of substantial size,and that a much greater pressure forces out of the cup of so that. adry, uniform colored surface is produced on the base.

Experience has shown that if a line design is produced on this coloredsurface by engine-turning, for example, that the engraving tool causesthe colored layer to-chip, so that. sharp clean lines are not uniformlyproduced in a large run. The percentage of spoiled piecesisconsiderable. Hence, I prefer to protect the colored layer, beforeengraving the design by. a tool which penetrates through the color intothe base, by

means of a thin superposed layer of fishscale, for example. Thisprotective layer of fish-scale is formed by taking the commercialfish-scale solution, thinning it with a suitable celluloid solvent (likeacetone) until the solution flows about as readily aswater and thenspraying this solution by means of an air-brush 'operatingunder apressure of thirty pounds per square inch. This fish-scale layer maycontain some cellu-' loid, Thus the commercial fish-scale solution maybe thinned with a celluloid lacquer.

This'first coating of fish-scale penetrates the color to a certainextent. and hence it hardens the colored layer. This is allowed tothoroughly dry and harden before the engraving operation. This coatingof -fishscale also modifies the original color of the colored layer andthis is also done by subsequent coatings; For example, if the enameloriginally used has a deep blue lor, the

addition of a suitable number of layers of fish-scale, as laterdisclosed. changes thi blue color to a. smoke blue or cloudy blue,

which is highly desirable. I prefer to add no celluloid to thefish-scale solution, but to merely thin it with commercial acetone.

Even if the white celluloid base is not colored, it is desirable to forma fish-scale coating before engraving, because this produces a desirablecolor effect.

In addition to the intaglio design on the celluloid base, a surfacedesign might be formed by painting or the like, and this surface designcould be accentuated and made to stand out from its background by themethod herein mentioned. Thus, a floral or leaf design could be formedby painting on the original white base or on the colored background. I

Experience has shown that it is very difficult or impossible to applythe ordinary fishscale of commerce, even when it has been considerablythinned, by means of. a brush. without showing objectionable streaks dueto the movement of the brush- Likewise, experience has shown that if thecelluloid article is dipped into a fish-scale solution,

even after it has been thinned, that the airbubbles which are present inthe solution prevent the formation of a uniform ,coating, because suchair bubbles produce breaks or marks in the coating which are plainlyvisible and which greatly injure its ornamental appearance. This isespecially true when 1 large, nonspherical objects are being treated,

although this may not be true in coating small, smooth, spherical beads.In. any event, it would be very difiicult to coat the engraved lines bybrushing or dipping, and to produce uniform work, free from marks due tobubbles. However, by making the so- I lution suificiently thin and byspraying with suflicient pressure, a very thin, firm and uniform coatingcan be produced, free from all air bubbles, and of a uniform pearlyappearance.

After the engraving or other decorative stepfh'as been performed, asecond thin and transparent coating of the thinned fish-scale solutionpreviously described is sprayed on by an air-brush, under a pressure ofabout thirty (30) pounds per square inch. The

fish-scale solution used for this coating and for'subsequent coatings ispreferably thinned with a suitable celluloid solvent,

transparent coatings of face composed of fish-scale is formed in aplurality of-layers.

The lines of the original design are thus acentuated in contrast totheir background,

so that the design has an appearance of a Very sharp contrast betweenthe surface layer as a whole and the individual lines of the design, sothat a cloisonn effect is pro-' duced.

The fish-scale coating thus formed is protected by spraying thereon aplurality (preferably about four or five) coats of, celluloid lacquer,said lacquer consisting of celluloid dissolved in a suitable. volatilesolvent. This is done by an air-brush operating under a pressure offorty to fifty pounds per square inch, and each coat is allowed to dryand harden at room temperature before the next coat is sprayed on. Llhefirst protective coating of celluloid should not penetratethe'fish-scale coating to any substantial to be depositedmore heavily onthe engraved lines than on the smooth background of the design. Thebutting operation makes the ornamental surface smooth and "planar. Thesmooth surface is now polished -With a suitable oily compound to give aglass finish, like real cloisonn.

Hence, the finally coinpleted article (assuming that the,celluloid blockhas a white color) has-a cloisonn design ap pearingin contrast. .toacolored background. The lines are very sharply defined and appear tostand up from the ornamented surface and the entire design is readilyvisible and has a general pearly efi'ect.

My invention is not restricted to providing a colored background forthedesign because an intaglio design formed in a'white surface can have thelines thereof accentuated and made to contrast with the background ofthe design, by using the method previously disclosed.

Likewise, it would be within the scope of my invention, if any suitablecoloring matter were mixed with the fish scale soliition used forforming the various 1a ers of fishscale before mentioned. I pre erhowever,

to have the said fish-scale layers substan tially colorless save for thepearly luster typical of this product, and to provide a coloredbackground for the design directly upon the surface of the base, by thestep above mentioned.

I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, but it is clearthat numerous changes and omissions could be made with out departingfrom its spirit.

For example, while I have disclosed an article having certaincharacteristics and a preferred method for producing the same, I wish tomake it clear that the said article might be produced by other methods,and I do not limit the claims for the said article to the productionthereof by the method disclosed herein.

While I have mentioned fish-Scale throughout, I do not wish to belimited to this substance alone or to the natural product, assubstitutes therefor are'known in the art. Any substance, or mixture of.substances, which can give a light-transmitting pearly eflfect are to beconsidered as equivalents, forthe. fish-scale, whenever this ismentioned in the description or claims.

I claim:

1. A method of coloring the surface of a celluloid base which consistsin spraying directly thereon a mixture of coloring mat ter and acelluloid solvent, the said spraying being conducted with suflicientforce with respect to the thinness of the mixture to cause the saidcoloring matter to be uniformly distributed over the surface of thecelluloid, to penetrate the same to produce a uniform colored layer.

2. A method of coloring the surface of a celluloid base which consistsinspraying directly thereon a mixture of a colorin agent and a celluloidsolvent inthin liqui form, the spraying pressure being sufficient andthe mixture being sufiiciently thin to uniformly distribute the coloringmatter to cause it to penetrate the celluloid to form a uniform coloredlayer, the said spraying pressure being insufficient to carryv alonglumps of the said coloring agent.

*3. A method. f forming an intaglio design on the surface of a celluloidbase which consists in spraying upon said base a fish-scale .solutioncontaining a celluloid solvent, the spraying pressure being sufiicientto cause the-fish-scale to adhere firmly to the said base without theformation of an air bubbles, allowing the solvent material to evaporate,and then engraving the said coating and base.

4. A method of-forming an intaglio design on a base having a coloredsurface, which consists in first providing a protective coating for thecolor, said layer being composed of material harder than said color, andthen engraving the design.

5. A method of accentuating an intaglio design in a surface whichconsists in spraying upon said surface a thin fish-scale solutiondissolved in a volatile solvent, the spraying pressure being suflicientand the solution being sufliciently thin to prevent the formation of airbubbles. 6. A method according to claim 5 in which a coating is formedby spraying on a series of separate layers as above mentioned, eachlayer being allowed to dry before the next layer is sprayed on.

7. As a new article of manufacture, a celluloid base having a surfaceprovided with coloring matter imbedded therein, the said surface havingan intaglio line design, the said surface having a smooth uniformlight-transmitting coating of fish-scale free from air bubbles.

8. As a new article of manufacture, a base having a surface producedwith an intaglio line design, the said surface having a smooth 1 uniformlight-transmitting coating of fishscale free from air bubbles.

9. An article according to claim 8 in which the said coating consists ofa plurality of layers.

10. As a new article of manufacture, a celluloid base having a surfaceprovided with coloring matter imbedded therein, the said surface havinga. contrasting intaglio line design, the said surface having a smoothuniform and integral coating free from air bubbles, the inner part ofsaid coating consisting of fish-scale and the outer part of said.coating consisting of celluloid, the said coating being substantiallytransparent.

11. As a new article of manufacture, a celluloid article having acolored surface provided with an intaglio design, and a superposedlight-transmitting coating containing fish-scale, said coating havin theproperty of changing the light re ected through it from said coloredsurface to lighten said color, said coating being free from air bubbles.

12. As a new article of manufacture, a base having a surface providedwith an intaglio line design, the said design having a smooth anduniform coating free from air bubbles, the inner part of said coatingconsisting of fish-scale, and the outer part of said coat-ing consistingof celluloid, the said coating being light-permeable.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

HUGO MANOVILL.

